Counting device



1 w. J. THOMPSON 1,979,585

COUNTING DEVICE Filed July 7, 1955 IN VENTOR.

71/275001 J T'fiompson a/WM, M 1

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 6, 1934 unirs stares PATET @FFEQE Claims.

This invention relates to a counting device. The device is concernedparticularly with a simplified structure for transferring counters or yI pieces from one location to another. The devicei may be used forkeeping the score of a game or the like or it may be used for keepingtrack of any other activity or procedure.

This application is related to application Serial No. 642,752, filedNovember 15, 1932 which 10 shows a counting device and which supportssome of the claims herein. The device is one having such structuralcharacteristics and of such a simplified nature that it may be readilyattached to an instrument used in the playing of a. game. For example,it may be attached to a golf stick and particularly one which is used inpropelling a golf ball through relatively short distances such as isdone in the practicing of putting or in games employing a similarprocedure.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a golf stick with parts broken awayand parts in section i1- lustrating the device in at-rest position.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the parts in actuated condition andillustrating the transfer of a counter.

Fig. 3 is a View of the device showing how it may be actuated to restorethe counters or pieces to their original position.

The device may be mounted on any suitable support and in the drawingsuch support comprises a golf stick 1. An expedient manner ofconstructing the support or holder for the markers or pieces is that ofsuitably shaping a single length of material such as wire. Such a wireis shown in the drawing and one end as at 2 may be fastened to thesupport by penetrating into the support. The support may be providedwith an aperture for receiving the end 2. The

wire has a body portion 3 extending generally lengthwise along thesupport, where the support is a golf shaft, or the like, and in order toprovide a suitable spring action, the wire may be .45 formed into a loop4 between the end 2 and the Q5 golf shaft. On the end of this actuatingpore tion there may be an enlargement or an abutment 11 adapted to beengaged by the finger of an operator.

A guide device may be provided for the portion 5, which may also limitcertain movements in the body, and this may take the form of a screw-eyehaving a portion 12 screwed into the golf shaft and an eye 13advantageously lying at substantially right angles to the portion 12,and the part 5 is threaded through this eye. A support 14 may take theform of a piece of metal of wire-like form carried by the golf shaft 1and projecting outwardly from the shaft 1 so as to support a stack ofcounters or pieces 15 which have apertures 16 and are threaded upon thebody 3. The part 14 may be termed a divider as it separates or dividesthe portion 3 on one side thereof from the portion of the body 3 on theopposite side thereof.

The device may be used preferably in a po- 75, sition so that themarkers gravitate on the body 3. Accordingly in Figure 1 the markers areshown resting upon the divider 14. The spring tension of the wire issuch as to normally hold the various positions thereof in the positionshown in Figure 1. It is to be noted that the pressure arm 6 does notrun parallel with the adjacent portion of the body 3 but that thepressure arm converges toward the body 3 with the abutment '7 lyingfairly close to one of the markers. To operate the device and transferone of the markers, the abutment 11 may be pressed, thus moving theparts to the Figure 2 position. As this is done the pressure arm flexes,

the abutment 7 comes into engagement with one of the markers. Where itis desired to transfer a single marker at a time, the abutment 7 shallbe arranged to contact with the marker immediately above the markerresting upon the divider 14. When the abutment 11 is fully depressed orsubstantially fully depressed, the body of the wire is forced away fromthe support 1 and the lowermost marker is freed of the divider and itgravitates to the lower portion of the body as shown in Figure 2. Whenpressure upon the thumb piece 11 is relieved, the parts resume theposition shown in Figure 1 and one marker has been transferred. The eye13 guides the portion 5 and limits the movement away from the support.

In practice, it is found the device may be oper- 1.05 ated with greatrapidity and it unfailingly effects transfer of one marker upon eachoperation. After all the markers have been transferred it is, of course,necessary to return them to their original position and the manner inwhich this is done is illustrated in Figure 3. The body of the wire ispulled away from the shaft by force, preferably applied thereto near theend with the guide piece 5. This substantially maintains the normalspacing between the body of the wire and the abutment '7 so that themarkers may pass the abutment, and at the same time removes the bodyfrom the divider sothat the column of markers may be pushed upwardlyalong the wire. Obviously after the markers are returned to theiroriginal position, the force is relieved and the spring tension returnsthe parts to the Figure 1 position. Where the device is mounted on aportable support, such as a golf stick, the golf stick may be invertedand the body 3 of the Wireshifted tothe Figure 3 position, with theresult that the markers gravitate back to their original position. Whilethe device is shown mounted upon the shaft of a golf stick, it is to beappreciated that such is broadly a support, and the claims appendedhereto which call for a support are intended to cover any suitablesupporting structure whether portable or not portable. The specificationrefers to the material which comprises the body 3, as wire. This term isused in a broad sense and the invention is intended to cover structuresfalling within the claims even though the particular material of whichthis element is made may not be technically called wire.

I claim:

1. A countingdevice comprising a support, a wire-like member fastened tothe support and having a body portion extending along the support, aplurality of markers threaded upon the body member, a divider carried bythe support and projecting into the path of the markers as they slideupon the support, said body memher being flexible whereby it may beflexed away from the support to permit a marker to move past thedivider.

2. A counting device comprising a support, a length of wire one end ofwhich is secured to the support, said wire having a body portionextending along the support and spaced therefrom, a divider carried bythe support and projecting toward the body of the wire into the path ofthe markers, said wire being reversely bent upon itself at the end ofthe body opposite the end fastened to the support to form a pressurearm, said pressure arm being adapted to be flexed away from the supportand arranged to engage one of the markers.

3. A counting device comprising a support, a wire member fastened at oneend to the support having a body portion extending along the support anda pressure arm doubled back upon the body member, a plurality of markersthreaded upon the body portion and slidable thereon, a dividerprojecting into the path of the markers, the end of the pressure armterminating near the divider, said pressure arm being arrangedto beflexed toward the body portion to engage one of the markers and to!leave a marker adjacent the divider free and to flex the body portionaway from the divider so that the marker adjacent the divider may slidepast the same on the body portion.

4. A counting device comprising a support, a wire member fastened at oneend to'the support having a body portion extending along the support anda pressure arm doubled back upon the body member, a plurality of markersthreaded upon the body portion and slidable thereon,

a divider projecting into the path of the markers, the end of thepressure arm terminating near the divider, said pressure arm beingarranged to be flexed toward the body portion to engage one of themarkers and to leave a marker adjacent the divider free and to flex thebody portion away from the divider so that the marker adjacent thedivider may slide past the same on the body portion, said pressure armhaving an end portion projecting through an aperture in the support andsaid portion being adapted to have pressure applied thereto for flexingthe pressure arm.

5. A counting device comprising a support, a wire member fastened at oneend to the support having a body portion extending along the support anda pressure arm doubled back upon the "body member, a plurality ofmarkers threaded upon the body portion and slidable thereon, a

divider projecting into the path of the markers, the end of the pressurearm terminating near the divider, said pressure arm being arranged to beflexed toward the body portion to engage one or" the markers and toleave a marker adjacent the divider free and to flex the body portionaway from the divider so that the marker adjacent the divider may slidepast the same on the body portion, said pressure arm having an endportion projecting through an aperture in the support and said portionbeing adapted to have pressure applied thereto for flexing the pressurearm, and an abutment on the pressure arm for engaging one of the markersto hold it from sliding on the body portion.

6. A counting device comprising a support, a length of wire, one end ofwhich is fastened to the support, said length of wire having a bodyportion extending along the support, said wire having a bend ofsubstantially 90 at the endof the body portion to form a guide portion,guiding means for such portion, said wire having another bend to form apressure arm extending along the support, said pressure arm having abend at its end portion so that its end portion extends substantially atright angles thereto and through an aperture in the support, a pluralityof markers slidably threaded upon the body portion, a divider in thepath of the markers, said body portion adapted to be flexed away fromthe support by pressure on the end of the pressure arm, and the pressurearm adapted to flex toward the body portion to engage a marker and holdthe same from movement whereby a disengaged marker may slide on the bodyportion past the divider.

'7. A counting device comprising a support a length of wire fastened atone end to the support having a body portion extending along the supportin spaced relation thereto, a plurality of markers slidably threadedupon the body portion, a divider lying in the path of the markers, oneend of the body portion arranged to be flexed away from a support, andmeans for so flexing the body portion to move the markers to a positionwhere the divider is out of the path of the markers.

8. A counting device comprising a support, a length of wire fastenedatone end to the support having a body portion extending along the supportin spaced relation thereto, a pluralityof markers slidably threaded uponthe body portion, a divider lying in the path of the markers, one end ofthe body portion arranged to be flexed away from a support, and meansfor so flexing the body portion to move the markers its to a positionwhere they may slide past the divider, said means for so flexing thebody portion comprising an element for engaging a marker andfrictionally retaining it on the body portion whereby a marker, otherthan the engaged one, may slide past the divider.

9. A counting device comprising a support, a wire-like member fastenedat its lower end to the support, having a body portion projectingupwardly along the support, the upper end of the body portion beingmovable away from the support, a plurality of markers on the bodyportion, a divider carried by the support and lying in the path of themarkers and upon which the markers are adapted to rest when the markersare on the upper portion of the body, and means shiftable to engage thenext lowermost marker and to flex the body portion so that the lowermostmarker may slide past the divider with the other markers held fromsliding by said means.

10. A counting device comprising a support, a wire-like member fastenedat its lower end to the support having a body portion projectingupwardly along the support, the upper end of the body portion beingmovable away from the support, a plurality of markers on the bodyportion, a divider carried by the support and lying in the path of themarkers and upon which the markers are adapted to rest when the markersare on the upper portion of the body, and means shiftable to engage thenext lowermost marker and to flex the body portion so that the lowermostmarker may slide past the divider with the other markers held fromsliding by said means, said means comprising a pressure arm formed by areversely bent part of the wire.

WILLIAM J. THOMPSON.

